The Cheater’s Guide
To AP Style
Capitals
Proper
nouns
Capitals
Proper
nouns
“Real” titles directly before names
Capitals
Proper
nouns
“Real” titles directly before names
Regions
Legislative bodies: Council, Assembly
Capital Don’ts
Plurals:
the departments of Labor
and Justice; the Tennessee and Ohio
rivers
Compass directions
Shorthand names on second
reference, or generic references
Numbers
Figures
or words?
Numbers
Figures
or words?
Generally follow the digit rule
Mix and match
Only years at the start of a sentence
Numbers: exceptions
Ages
are always figures
Dimensions (inches, feet, yards)
Percent
Abbreviations
To
abbreviate or not to abbreviate,
that is the question.
Abbreviations
To
abbreviate or not to abbreviate,
that is the question.
Some things are always abbreviated:
FBI, CNN.
Abbreviations
To
abbreviate or not to abbreviate,
that is the question.
Some things are always abbreviated:
FBI, CNN.
Some are abbreviated in specific
usages: doctor vs. Dr. Jones; Wis. Vs.
Wisconsin.
Abbreviations
Some
are evolving: frequently asked
questions (FAQ)
Some can be abbreviated on second
reference (National Rifle Association
= NRA).
Titles
“Coach”
is considered a job
description, not a formal title: L/C.
Professor--lowercase and do not
abbreviate before a name.
Plurals
Fire & police
Addresses
Abbreviate
exact numbered address:
801 Algoma Blvd. but Algoma
Boulevard.
B-A-S
Everything else is spelled out: road,
lane, drive, circle, court, etc.
Time references
Use
days of week within seven days
of an event (not today or tonight).
Otherwise specify the date.
Time references
Use
days of week within seven days
of an event (not today or tonight).
Otherwise specify the date.
Abbreviate months only when a day is
specified: February 2007 vs. Feb. 27,
2007.
Time references
Five
months (five letters or fewer)
are never abbreviated.
Time references
Five
months (five letters or fewer)
are never abbreviated.
There is neither a 12 a.m. or a 12 p.m.
Avoid redundancies: next Tuesday, 10
a.m. this morning.
Word usage
If
you do not recognize a word, look
it up.
Word usage
If
you do not recognize a word, look
it up.
 Be sensitive to distinctions:
burglary, larceny, robbery, theft;
homicide, murder, manslaughter;
pedal, peddle.
Word usage
If
you do not recognize a word, look
it up.
 Be sensitive to distinctions:
burglary, larceny, robbery, theft;
homicide, murder, manslaughter;
pedal, peddle.
Trademarks: photocopy sted Xerox.
Punctuation
Commas.
Hyphens
Quotation
marks.
Apostrohes.
Colons & semicolons.
Commas
10
simple rules.
In journalism: When in doubt, leave it
out.
Hyphens
Hyphens—use
sparingly.
Distinguish between compound
adjectives (hyphenated) and adverbadjective combos (no hyphens).
Hyphens
Little-known
athlete
Widely known author
Hyphens
Hyphen
is not the same as a dash,
which can work like a comma or
parens to emphasize or set apart.
—
Quotation marks
He said, “I am shocked and
horrified by the incident.
“I am so horrified, in fact, that I
will ask for the death penalty.”
Quotation marks
He said he was “shocked and
horrified by the incident.”
“I am so horrified, in fact, that I
will ask for the death penalty.”
Quotation marks
Commas
and periods always, always,
always inside (in U.S. usage).
Quotation marks
Commas
and periods always, always
always inside (in U.S. usage).
Question marks, exclamation points
depend on the sense of the sentence.
Apostrophes
Special
rules for possessives: plural
nouns not ending in s, plural nouns
ending in s, nouns plural in form
singular in meaning, nouns the same in
singular and plural, etc.
Apostrophes
The
’20s.
Not the 20’s.
Four A’s and two B’s.
ABCs, VIPs.
Colons & semicolons
Which
is which?
; versus :
Colons
He
promised this: The company will
make good on all the losses.
There were three considerations:
expense, time and feasibility.
Semicolons
He
was survived by a son, John
Smith, of Chicago; three daughters,
Jane Smith of Wichita, Kan., Mary
Smith, of Denver, and Susan of
Boston; and a sister, Martha, of
Omaha, Neb.
Can be used to link independent
clauses but may signal complexity.
Prefixes
Generally
do not use a hyphen with a
word starting with a consonant.
Prefixes
Generally
do not use a hyphen with a
word starting with a consonant.
Nonprofit, but non-nuclear.
Prefixes
Generally
do not use a hyphen with a
word starting with a consonant.
Nonprofit, but non-nuclear.
Cooperate and coordinate, otherwise
hyphenate: re-elect.
Prefixes
Generally
do not use a hyphen with a
word starting with a consonant.
Nonprofit, but non-nuclear.
Cooperate and coordinate, otherwise
hyphenate: re-elect.
Look it up!
Suffixes
Two
words for the verb form:
Stand out
Hyphenate noun or adjective
Standout (player)
Suffixes
Two
words for the verb form:
Stand out
Hyphenate noun or adjective
Standout (player)
But there are many exceptions!
LOOK IT UP!!!